Chapter 3

That evening, Sebastian and I arrived home together, his face glowing with satisfaction.

"Nate, so what if you end up marrying Violet? You might get her body, but you'll never have her heart. Actually, she probably won't even let you touch her."

Without Violet around, he finally dropped his innocent facade.

"I was able to cause your mother's death, and I can just as easily steal away your beloved Violet. Just wait and see, everything that belongs to you will eventually be mine."

Sebastian thought he could provoke me, but I merely glanced at him indifferently. "Well then, I wish you luck moving out of the housekeepers' quarters soon."

I ignored him completely after that and walked straight into the house. Later, Grandpa looked for me to inform me that Sophia still needed more time to consider the proposal.

Violet had probably forgotten she even had another female cousin.

Mr. Sterling Senior once had a daughter who fell in love with a police officer. She gave up her inheritance rights to become a police officer herself. Later, both she and her husband died in the line of duty, leaving behind only one daughter.

Mr. Sterling Senior and his daughter had a terrible falling out over her marriage choice. After his daughter's death, Mr. Sterling Senior was filled with regret, but his granddaughter had grown up in the police compound and rarely returned to the Sterling residence.

When I reminded him of her existence, Mr. Sterling Senior realized how much he owed her. Even if she didn't marry me, he'd still leave her a portion of his wealth.

Violet was determined to gain complete control of Sterling Group, not realizing she could never have it all. I was curious to see how things would unfold for Violet this time around.

On the day of Grandpa's 80th birthday, all the prominent figures in our social circle attended. To ensure the banquet would proceed smoothly, his doctor, Dr. Stevenson, and I conducted another thorough examination of Grandpa's health.

Sebastian spotted me and walked over. In the past few days, Violet had taken him shopping at numerous luxury boutiques.

A quick glance at his social media revealed post after post showcasing their intimate moments together.

When he saw me, he approached with a smile. "Nate, Vivi is truly wonderful. She took me shopping for so many luxury items. Not only that, but she personally took my measurements, saying she wants to have custom suits made for me."

Seeing that I was ignoring him, he continued, "Vivi also said that even after you two are married, I shouldn't feel like an outsider with her. We're all family, so it's only natural for her to take care of me."

My conversation with Dr. Stevenson kept getting interrupted. I turned around, ready to tell him to get lost but froze when I noticed the pin on his chest. That pin had been a birthday gift from my parents when I was young.

My parents had loved each other deeply. Mom had personally designed the pin, and Dad had commissioned the finest craftsman abroad to create it. It represented their wish for my lifelong happiness and fulfillment.

Later, after that terrible incident—when Mom died and Dad's heart died with her, leading him to withdraw from the world entirely—I never received another birthday gift from my parents.

That pin was one of a kind in the world. I treasured it so much that I couldn't even bring myself to wear it.

I grabbed Sebastian by the collar and shoved him into a corner, towering over him as I demanded, "Where did you get that pin?"

Sebastian suddenly began to choke up, "Nate, even though you've always resented me, I've always considered you my big brother. Vivi only bought me a few clothes because she felt sorry for me. Even if you're angry, you shouldn't resort to violence!"

I wasn't buying his act. Without loosening my grip, I snarled, "Tell me where you got that pin! Who gave it to you?"

Sebastian just stared at me with wide eyes. Disgusted, I reached to snatch it away, but my wrist was firmly caught by another hand.

A cold voice spoke from behind me. "Nathan Hamilton, what do you think you're doing? Do you plan to assault someone in broad daylight?"